


Roman Holiday

by prettyboyhargrove



Category: Harringrove - Fandom, Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: 2000's billy and steve, 2019 harringrove, Hipster! Steve, M/M, Modern AU, Soulmates AU, brief mentions of abuse, instagram au, long distance, neil hargrove is still a dick, punk! Billy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-29
Updated: 2019-08-05
Packaged: 2019-12-26 08:12:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18279284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prettyboyhargrove/pseuds/prettyboyhargrove
Summary: Steve Harrington has been looking for his soulmate for months, stalking anyone online that he could find with the same name of his soulmate. After accidentally liking a photo of Billy Hargrove’s he unknowingly sparks a relationship between the two.Set in modern day the boys fall in love through their phone screens and realize there’s nothing they’re not willing to lose for love.





	1. Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> This is only my second Harringrove fic and my first soulmate au so I hope it's sufficient. I wanted to make modern day Billy and Steve fall in love which is why their characters seem a bit different than their canon selves but they're still the boys we love and adore. Also the title is a reference to one of Halsey's songs, it will eventually be relevant.

Billy Hargrove was nineteen when he saw his soulmate for the first time.

He was closing up for the night when his phone screen lit up the dim coffee shop he worked at. Looking down at the notification his heart stopped.  

_Harrington_Steve liked your photo_

Billy recognized the name immediately, his fingers gingerly touching the spot on his forearm where his soul mark sat. Billy had it memorized, knew each line of the messy black letters by heart but he never imagined he’d see it anywhere besides his own skin.  

With trembling hands Billy clicked on the notification and he was met with a photo of himself. It was an old one, from at least a year back and he chuckled to himself when he realized that his soulmate must have accidentally liked an old photo while going through his profile.

Clicking on the other boys name Billy was instantly met with a warm goofy smile and mesmerizing brown eyes. Steve Harrington was beautiful. His hair fell just past his chin in soft brown waves, his eyes were hidden behind thick black framed glasses and Billy couldn’t help but notice a few moles scattered across his face.

Steve’s profile was filled with artistic pictures of fruity wine, concerts and books. It wasn’t until he came across a photo of the brunette at the beach did Billy realize he was looking for his own name on the boy, desperate for this to be real and not a cruel coincidence. Zooming in he saw a fraction of a tattoo on Steve’s rib, the letters of Billy’s last name barely visible from underneath the brunette’s arm. Relief washed over him as he realized that the boy in front of him was truly meant to be his. Before he could stop himself Billy clicked follow and closed the app, hoping that Steve would follow him back; desperate to be seen once again by the beautiful boy, if even just for a minute.

That night Billy walked home in silence, his heart hammering in his chest as he thought about Steve Harrington and everything he would do to keep him a secret.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At the beginning there's going to be a lot of back and forth through instagram DM's so to make it easier i've decided any messages in bold will be from Billy and anything in italics will be from Steve. I'm going to alternate POV's from time to time so you can have a better understanding of each boy's feelings and thoughts. Thank you to everyone who has said something nice so far, it means the world to me.

Steve lit a cigarette and sighed as he looked down at his phone, a single notification on screen:

_Billyhargrove13 followed you_

He didn’t mean to like the blonde’s picture, especially not one from over a year ago but there was nothing he could do after it happened. He had been watching Billy’s profile for months now, trying to figure out if the boy was his soulmate after all, but one slip of a finger threatened to ruin everything and Steve was convinced that he would never know if this was who he was meant to be with after all.

By some grace of god Billy followed him and half an hour later Steve was still sat staring at the notification, certain if he clicked on it then it would disappear and he’d wake up to this having been a dream.

Billy was everything Steve could’ve hoped for and more. Ever since his soul mark showed up on his rib when he was thirteen he dreamt of what the boy would be like, about what he would look like and sound like. His hair was unruly and unkempt, blonde curls framing his face. He had the bluest eyes Steve had ever seen and his right arm was covered in tattoos.

From his profile Steve had learned that Billy lives in California and works in a café. He mostly posted pictures of the beach and iced coffee but sometimes he’d post pictures of himself. Pictures of him in front of tattoo shop, stills of him driving down Californian highways, his hair blowing wildly in his eyes. No matter what he was doing Billy made it look effortless.

Finishing his cigarette Steve stared at his phone, picking it up with shaking hands he clicked on the notification and smiled. The sight of Billy always made him happy, which is why Steve knew this was his soulmate the whole time. He had searched for many other Billy Hargrove’s in the past but he never had the same connection to them as he did with this one. There was something inside Steve that clicked when he saw him for the first time and he knew deep down that this was the man he was bound to fall in love with.

Steve clicked follow back before he could change his mind and quickly threw his phone onto the bed in front of him. Breathing deeply he stood up and made his way to the bathroom. Looking in the mirror he sighed. He knew that if Billy truly was his soulmate then he wouldn’t care what Steve looked like, fate put them together after all but he couldn’t help but doubt his own appearance. The other boys Billy posted on his Instagram were all tanned and built like models, Steve was nothing compared to them. Living in Indiana meant his skin never saw the sun for more than two months of the year and his small frame resembled that of a thirteen year old boy more than an Abercrombie & Fitch model. He liked his hair but his friends all told him it was too long, that he was already too feminine to be wearing it as long as he did.

Pulling his gaze from the mirror Steve quickly washed his face and brushed his teeth, desperate to get into bed and ignore the events of the day. Pulling his top off his eyes fell on his soul mark and he gently ran his fingers across the loopy cursive spelling out Billy’s name. Images of blue eyes filled his head as he quickly turned out the lights and slipped into bed. Before he could fall asleep his phone dinged, his room suddenly engulfed in blue light.

_Billyhargrove13 sent you a message_

Steve felt like he could throw up but opened the message quickly, not knowing what he was going to be met with.

(12:47 am) **What’s a pretty boy like you doing liking my pictures from a year ago?**

A laugh escaped Steve’s lips at the idea of anyone thinking he was pretty, especially someone as godly as Billy Hargrove. Before he could stop himself he was messaging the blonde back, a hint of sarcasm to his tone.

(12:49 am) _Speak for yourself Hargrove; you’re the one that followed me. I was simply admiring, what’s your excuse?_

It took a few minutes for Billy to reply and Steve was convinced he should’ve said something else when the text bubble finally popped up.

(1:05 am) **as you could probably tell from my profile I’m a simple man. I like pretty things and you happen to be the prettiest thing I’ve seen on here in a while. I didn’t know it was a crime to look at the art.**

(1:06 am) _If I’m the best art you could find then California is disappointing you. May I suggest you visit literally any art museum and educate yourself?_

(1:09 am) **Name an art museum close to you and maybe I’ll consider it. For now you’re all the art I need princess.**

Steve’s cheeks burned at the pet name and he realized he didn’t have much on his profile that would give away anything about him. Billy was an open book for Steve but the brunette was much more reserved, too hung up on the aesthetic of his profile to realize that it said absolutely nothing about him.

(1:11 am) _I live in bumblefuck Indiana, if there was any art around me it would consist solely of watercolor paintings of barn animals and corn fields._

(1:12 am) **Indiana eh? You’re certainly not as close as I was hoping.**

(1:14 am) _Well maybe I don’t need to be close; you don’t know anything about me after all. I could be a serial killer and you would be none the wiser._

(1:17 am) **I know for a fact that you’re not a serial killer.**

(1:17 am) _And why is that?_

(1:18 am) **Because serial killers don’t listen to Billie Eilish and drink strawberry wine.**

Laughter escaped Steve’s lips and he smiled. Billy had done some stalking of his own and that made the brunette the happiest he’s been in months.

(1:20 am) _So what you’re saying is that there has yet to be a serial killer with refined taste?_

(1:21 am) **Whatever helps you sleep tonight**

(1:22 am) **Speaking of, go to bed. It’s late and I refuse to be the reason that your beautiful face gets cursed with dark circles.**

(1:24 am) _You say that yet you’re the one who sent me a message after midnight._

(1:25 am) **What did I tell you, I can’t resist beautiful things. Now go to bed, I’m serious. I won’t be getting more messages if I keep you from your beauty sleep.**

Steve’s heart hammered in his chest as he thought of talking to the younger boy the next day.

(1:27 am) _Fine, I’m going to sleep. But you better message me tomorrow Hargrove, I don’t take kindly to getting my heart broken._

(1:30 am) **Steve Harrington I could never break your heart, the universe wouldn’t allow it.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Early morning confessions, sunrises and bad coffee.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the support i've been receiving! I never expected to get this much love especially so early on and I just want y'all to know that I appreciate every single kind word and kudos you leave. 
> 
> As I mentioned before Billy's messages are in bold and Steve's are in italics. 
> 
> Also Steve is a photographer which I realize I didn't make super clear in the chapter.

A persistent buzzing tore Billy from his sleep and confusion overtook him when he opened his eyes to a dark room. Reaching for his phone he was blinded by the bright screen and as his eyes adjusted he realized he had 5 messages from Steve.

(4:13 am) _What’s a good drink from Starbucks?_

(4:17 am) _An answer would be nice Hargrove, I need to order soon_

(4:18 am) _As a barista is it not your job to recommend coffee to me? Why are you neglecting your duties?_

(4:20 am) _The girl behind the counter has been glaring at me for over 5 minutes_

(4:30 am) _I panicked when I ordered and just got the same thing as the guy before me. It’s disgusting. What’s even in a macchiato??_

A chuckle escaped Billy’s lips as he read Steve’s messages, a vivid picture painted in his head. The older boy had mentioned that he was never one for coffee and Billy had been bugging him for a week to give it another try but he didn’t expect Steve to go in without a single idea as to what to get.

(4:33 am) **Harrington**

(4:33 am) **Are you aware that Cali is 3 hours behind Indiana and it’s 4 in the morning right now?**

Putting his phone on silent Billy turned onto his side and tried to go back to sleep but his phone lit up the room in a ray of blue light and he couldn’t resist seeing if it was a notification from Steve.

(4:40 am) _Oh fuck, I’m sorry I forgot!_

(4:41 am) _But honestly it’s kind of your fault. I was content with drinking wine for breakfast but someone just had to be on my case to stop doing it and I think I gave it my most valiant effort._

Accepting that he wouldn’t be getting much sleep Billy gave in and messaged Steve back, a smirk lingering on his lips.

(4:44 am) **I see how it is, blame innocent little me for your incessant drinking. What next? Soon you’ll be saying it’s my fault you smoke like a chimney.**

(4:45 am) _Innocent? If I remember correctly you were the one who insisted I develop a caffeine addiction on top of my supposed wine problem._

(4:46 am) _Plus you smoke way more than I do Hargrove. I don’t think there’s an hour of the day where there’s not a cigarette hanging from your lips._

Billy rolled his eyes at the brunette’s message but realized he was right. He had only been awake for half an hour and was already dying for a smoke. Getting out of bed he slipped on a t-shirt from the day before and reached into his bedside drawer for his pack. Creeping out into the hallway he went down the stairs, avoiding all of the steps that he knew would creek and wake up his dad and Susan.

Once he was outside Billy sighed, letting out the stress he didn’t know he was holding onto; lighting his cigarette he looked up at the sky. It was a clear morning and he could see the sun trying to break through the darkness. Pulling out his phone he took a photo of the sky and sent it to Steve.

(4:50 am) **You know I hate it when you’re right**

Almost instantly Steve sent a photo back. Billy could see a field filled with purple and orange flowers, the morning sun making them pop against the green grass.

(4:52 am) _Maybe one day we’ll wake up and see the same sky_

(4:55 am) **Don’t get sappy on me now Harrington, it’s not even light out yet**

(4:56 am) _I’m serious Billy. I want to meet you; I want to show you a morning sky you’ll never forget._

Putting out his smoke with the toe of his shoe Billy sighed for the second time that morning. It had been three weeks since he first messaged Steve and despite knowing that they were soulmates Billy still got uncomfortable when the older boy mentioned meeting him. If they met it would mean it was all real and that Billy had someone he could possibly lose, as long as they stuck to only talking online and occasionally sending each other photos it felt safe. The second Steve became more than just an image on a screen he became a threat to everything Billy had been hiding from himself since he was thirteen.

Tracing Steve’s name on his arm Billy closed his eyes and imagined the other boy. Big brown eyes filled his head and visions of Steve’s goofy smile reflected off of his eyelids. Deep down he knew that there was nothing he could do to stop himself from loving the brunette, that fate put them together for a reason but Billy had been taught to hate himself for too many years to accept who he was now.

(5:01 am) **We’ve been over this Steve. You know you can’t come visit me; my dad would kill us both before you even made it inside.**

(5:03 am) _He doesn’t need to know it’s happening. I can get a hotel and you can tell him you’re going out of town with some friends. You could show me all of the places you loved growing up and we’d finally be together._

(5:04 am) _You want to be with me don’t you?_

Sitting down on the front step Billy let out a muffled scream. He wanted to tell Steve how dangerous it was for him to come to Cali. How if his dad ever found out about them that Steve would be planning a burial instead of a date at sunrise but he just told the older boy what he wanted to hear. Billy couldn’t stand the thought of hurting him and if he needed to lie to keep Steve happy for the time being then that’s exactly what he would do.

(5:10 am) **Of course I want to be with you dumbass, there’s nobody in the entire universe I’d rather be with.**

(5:11 am) _Then let me come and visit, I want to finally touch you. I want to see your soul mark. I want to make this feel real because right now I’m so scared I’m going to lose you._

(5:12 am) **I’m not going anywhere princess, just please be patient. I’ll find out a way to make it work just don’t be sad, please.**

Cursing Billy stood up and brushed the dirt off of the back of his legs. He needed to get back inside before his dad woke up and questioned why Billy was sneaking inside at 5am wearing nothing but a t-shirt and boxer shorts. He almost made it to his bedroom without being caught when he heard someone whisper his name. Turning around he was met with a head of fiery red hair and anger rose in his chest.

“What do you want Max? “ Billy asked, his jaw clenched

“Why are you mad at me? You’re the one sneaking around”

Sighing Billy pushed past the young girl into his bedroom. “It’s none of your business Max, now go back to bed before dad wakes up and you get us both in trouble.”

“Whatever asshole, I just needed to use the bathroom.”

Ignoring the anger that was growing inside of him Billy closed the door and crawled into bed. He never usually let Max get away with being a brat, especially when he was in this bad of a mood but the fear of waking up his dad outgrew his annoyance with his step sister and he decided he would let her win just this once.

Checking his phone he saw that Steve had sent him another picture, this time it was of the boy himself. He was sat in the grass of the field, his coffee in hand as he smiled and looked out into the distance. His hair was half pulled back into a bun and he wore overall shorts and a bright yellow t-shirt.

(5:20 am) _Tell me I’m pretty and I’ll pretend you didn’t call me a dumbass when I was upset._

Laughter escaped Billy’s lips and he looked back at the photo, memorizing every detail of the brunette that he could.

(5:24 am) **You’re the prettiest dumbass I’ve ever laid eyes on, now stop taking selfies and do your job**

(5:25 am) _That’s not fair, I miss your face._

(5:26 am) **Go to work Steve**

(5:27 am) _Only if you send me a selfie back, I want to know what you look like in the morning._

Billy’s cheeks burned but he opened the camera on his phone and took a picture of himself lying in bed, trying his best to look annoyed.

(5:31 am) _Try to look angry all you want Billy boy, I know you’re soft for me_

Billy’s heart leapt in his chest. He didn’t know how Steve could see right through him after only a few short weeks. No matter how hard he tried to keep his walls up the brunette could always break them down without even trying and that terrified Billy.

(5:32 am) **Well aren’t you going to tell me I’m pretty too?**

(5:33 am) _Billy Hargrove you’re the prettiest man I’ve ever laid eyes on and you know it_

(5:35 am) **For someone who takes a lot of selfies you clearly haven’t taken a good look at yourself if you think I’m the prettiest man you’ve ever seen.**

(5:36 am) _Someday I’ll prove to you that you give the night sky a run for its money_

(5:37 am) _Now go back to bed, my client just showed up and I can’t have you clouding up my thoughts when I’m trying to take pictures._

Putting his phone on his bedside table Billy turned onto his side and closed his eyes, images of Steve Harrington surrounded by flowers clouding his dreams.  


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sick boyfriends, rainy days, Mad Max and sibling bonding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all your patience everyone! I know I missed last weeks update but I appreciate everyone's kind comments. I read every single one and they mean the world to me. I made this chapter a little longer than the others to try and make up for the missed week. 
> 
> As always Billy's messages are in bold and Steve's are in italics

The sound of rain hitting the roof filled the empty café and Billy let out an annoyed groan. He had been at work for most of the afternoon and had only seen a handful of customers. The rain was unusually bad for California and none of his regulars were braving the weather to come in. Pulling out his phone he took a photo of the empty room and sent it to Steve.

(3:17 pm) **If I don’t get a customer soon I may commit a homicide**

Steve responded quickly with a photo of his own and Billy instantly recognized the Brunette’s small apartment.

(3:18 pm) _At least you left the house today, I’ve been stuck inside for three days. I don’t think I know what outside looks like anymore._

(3:20 pm) **Maybe if you started eating a diet of substance you’d be less likely to get the plague every two months**

(3:21 pm) _I’ll have you know that wine is made of fruit so it’s good for my health plus there are more nutrients in a grilled cheese sandwich than you’d think_

(3:22 pm) **Steve Harrington don’t make me come all the way to buttfuck Indiana just so I can teach you how to cook**

(3:23 pm) _If that’s the only way I get to meet you then I guess I’ll be eating nothing but grilled cheese sandwiches until you’re forced to come and rescue me from my own diet_

Billy rolled his eyes, knowing that the older boy was only half joking. He had been bothering Billy about coming out to visit him and lately started suggesting Billy fly out to Indiana so they’d be safe from the blonde’s dad finding out about them.

(3:25 pm) **Soulmates or not you won’t be finding me in Indiana anytime soon, if I wanted to smell cow shit all day I’d buy a farm**

(3:26 pm) _It’s really not that bad_

(3:27 pm) _as long as you keep the windows closed anyways_

(3:28 pm) **You do realise you’re supposed to be selling your point right? Please tell me you never joined debate club in school because you’re terrible**

(3:29 pm) _I’ll have you know that debate team would’ve been lucky to have me. Anyways I was dedicated to yearbook and now it’s my job so who looks dumb now mr debate team_

(3:30 pm) **Still you princess, still you**

Before Billy had a chance to tell Steve he was joking his phone started ringing, the brunette’s name lighting up the screen.

With a shaking hand Billy clicked accept and waited for Steve’s voice to fill the silence. They had only talked on the phone once before, Billy was always too scared to talk on the phone at home in case his dad heard. He didn’t want Neil to find out about Steve, the older boy was a secret for Billy only. He didn’t want his fucked up home life to interfere with everything untouched about the other boy.

“Billy”

“Hey pretty boy” Billy’s voice wavered and he cursed himself for not being more put together. It was a simple phone call, nothing more.

“I’ll never get tired of hearing that.”

Steve’s voice was rough and low, his nose sounded stuffed and Billy wondered if he was downplaying just how sick he actually was.

“Are you feeling alright? You sound like death.”

Steve laughed

“You really know how to make a boy feel good. I’m fine Billy, it’s just a cold, I should be back to being wine drunk in the middle of the afternoon in no time.”

The blonde could hear laughter in the older boys’ voice as he spoke and it made his heart flutter in his chest.

“Am I really going to need to come out there and take care of you? I’m starting to question when you’re joking lately.”

“Billy Hargrove, I would never let you see me in this state. There’s not a single pretty thing about me right now and I’d rather not chase you off with my puffy eyes and Rudolph nose.”

Sighing Billy switched the phone onto speaker and began cleaning tables around the café.

“I don’t think there’s a chance in hell that I wouldn’t think you’re the most beautiful man I’ve ever laid eyes on, sick or not. You’re the love of my life Steve Harrington and you can’t chase me away with a stupid head cold.”

The line went quiet for a second too long and Billy was scared he overstepped when he heard sniffling and then the unmistakable sound of Steve blowing his nose.

“Well if that doesn’t chase you away then nothing will” Steve said, his laughter radiating through the café.

Billy swore he fell in love with the brunette every time he laughed. It made him feel invincible, like nothing in the world could ever hurt him as long as Steve was around to laugh for him.

“You should get some rest” Billy said, his voice turning soft.

“If you insist Hargrove, but you better know that I’ll miss you the entire time.”

A warmth spread over Billy as he said goodbye to the older boy, the room suddenly feeling far too empty and quiet without his voice.

The sound of a bell ringing had Billy turning to look at the front door, a head of fiery red hair walking into the café. Max was soaked, water weighing her curly hair down as it stuck to her face; water from her tank top drenching the front entrance.

“Does Susan know you’re not at home?” Billy asked, grabbing a mop to clean up the puddle surrounding the teenager.

“She dropped me off at the mall this morning but I got tired of waiting for her and I thought I could make it here without getting too wet.”

Billy sighed as he looked down at the girl in front of him, she was shaking from the cold and he knew if she got sick it would be him that got blamed.

Reaching into his pocket he pulled out the keys to his Camaro and handed them to the younger girl.

“Go to my car, there should be a towel and some clean clothes in the backseat. Bring them back in and get dry, I’ll make you a hot chocolate to warm you up.”

Turning away Billy stepped behind the counter and started to make the drink for the redhead, the sound of the front door slamming shut ringing through the café.

When Max returned Billy had finished her drink and placed it on the counter in front of him. She had her hair pulled into a bun on the top of her head and she wore one of Billy’s Motley Cruet t-shirts as a dress.

“Thanks. For the clothes and stuff” Max said avoiding eye contact.

Billy never typically felt protective of his stepsister, often feeling nothing but annoyance over the teenager but he was still feeling soft from his phone call with Steve and there was something about the rain that made his guard go down and for a moment he felt a sense of pride as he looked over at the redhead.

“Do you want something to eat? I can get you a chocolate croissant or something; I know they’re your favorite.”

Max’s head shot up like she had been burned by the blonde’s words.

“Uh, yeah. That would be great, thanks Billy” she said and the blonde could tell her guard was up.

Of course she didn’t trust him, Billy had been harsh with her for too many years for her to accept his kindness as genuine but he tried his best to be nice. As he got her food ready he asked her about her friends and if she was excited to be done of school for the summer.

“There’s this boy at school that’s kind of cool,” Max said, her cheeks turning the same color as her hair. “He likes a lot of the same music you do.”

Billy smiled at the teenager as he thought about the soul mark on her ankle and he wondered if this was the boy she was talking about.

“Does he like Motley Crue?”

Max nodded her head

“He does, why does that matter?” she asked.

“I was just thinking he might like your shirt,” Billy said as he picked up his phone and opened the camera. “Say cheese Maxie, you can send it to your boy toy.”

Max’s cheeks were bright red but she smiled shyly as Billy took the picture. Once she deemed it good enough he sent it to her and while she played around with it on her phone he opened Instagram.

After adding a filter and the caption ‘ _Rainy days with Mad Max_ ’ Billy posted the photo. Before he had a chance to close the app he got a notification

_Harrington_Steve commented on your photo_

Clicking on the notification Billy let out a laugh

_‘Does she have the same terrible music taste as you? This whole family needs my help!’_

Laughing Billy liked Steve’s comment and a blush crept up his neck.

“What’s so funny?” Max asked, bringing her dirty dishes behind the counter and putting them in the sink.

“It’s nothing, now go get your wet clothes from the bathroom and put them in a plastic bag. My shift is over in a few minutes and then I’ll drive you home.”

Doing as she was told Max stalked off to the bathroom and Billy waited until she was out of sight before he pulled out his phone. He clicked on Steve’s contact and waited for the brunette to pick up.

“Do you miss me already?”

Steve’s voice filled Billy’s stomach with butterflies and for the second time that day his voice shook as he spoke.

“I’m about to go home for the night and I just wanted to remind you that I love you.”

He could hear shuffling and then Steve’s voice, softer than he had ever heard it.

“I love you too, drive safe. I’ll message you tonight.”

Before Billy could say anything else the line went dead and he was suddenly aware of a presence behind him.

“Who were you talking to?”

Turning around Billy saw Max standing in the doorway of the bathroom, a bag of clothes in her hand and a towel draped over her arm.

“It was nobody, now help me turn out the lights and I’ll lock up. I’m tired of being here; it’s been dead all day.”

Max stayed silent as Billy locked up the café and it wasn’t until they were in the car on the way home that she spoke again, her voice barely loud enough to be heard over the rain hitting the windshield.

“Was it Steve on the phone?”

Billy pulled over on the side of the road, putting the car in park he twisted in his seat so he could look the teenager in the eyes.

“How do you know about Steve?”

The redhead shrugged her shoulders and gently brushed her foot across her soul mark.

“I’ve known for a while now, I remember seeing your soul mark before you got all your other tattoos. You seemed happy on the phone so I just assumed it was him.”

“Max, please. You can’t tell my dad or Susan about this, seriously.” Billy pleaded, his voice cracking.

A soft smile crept onto the younger girls face as she gently grabbed the blonde’s hand.

“I won’t, it’s just that he makes you seem really happy. I like it when you’re happy.”

Tears threatened to spill from Billy’s eyes as he digested what Max had said. He always assumed the redhead hated him, he never treated her well enough for her to like him, yet here she was holding his hand and comforting him after all he’s done to her.

Slowly removing his hand from Max’s he put the car in drive and continued driving home, the sound of the rain the only thing breaking the silence between the two.

As they pulled into the driveway Billy spoke again.

“He does make me happy, really happy. That’s why nobody can know about this.”

Max nodded her head and gave him one last small smile before getting out of the car and running into the house, leaving Billy alone in the car to think about Steve Harrington and how badly he needed things to work out between them.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neil Hargrove, sixteen candles and vulnerability

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so so much to every single person who has said something kind or left kudos on this. I fell out of love with writing but the love i've received over the last month has inspired me to keep going. This chapter is for every sweetheart that continued to support me even after 4 months of silence.

Billy heard crashing downstairs before he heard his father’s voice. He was on skype with Steve when he heard the unmistakable sound of the front door slamming shut and he tried to keep his facial expressions relaxed as he told the older boy he needed to go. Steve could tell something was wrong and tried to stall by ignoring Billy’s goodbye’s and continued to ask him about his weekend plans when Billy’s bedroom door flew open and Neil Hargrove stepped into the small room.

“What did I tell you about picking your sister up on time?”

Billy barely had time to put his phone down before his dad reached the bed, he reeked of whiskey and the blonde already knew he was going to be spending the next week recuperating from whatever his father was going to do to him.

“I didn’t know she needed a drive dad, I swear” Billy said, his voice quivering, “She told me that Susan would get her.”

The blonde slowly sat up, careful not to make any move too sudden as to not pick a fight, and slid his phone underneath his pillow. He prayed Steve would just hang up or would at least know better than to make any noise while Neil was still in the room.

“You always have an excuse. You didn’t know, or you forgot, or you got caught late at work. You need to learn respect and responsibility. If you’re going to be living in my house then you better make yourself useful, you’re already a sad excuse for a son, don’t make me kick you out on your sorry ass.”

Before Billy had a chance to respond Neil turned out of the room, closing the door with enough force to knock the pictures off of the wall in the small bedroom.

Gently letting out a breath the blonde boy pulled his phone out from its hiding spot and he was instantly met with big brown eyes filled with worry.

“What the fuck was that?” Steve’s voice was soft but had a cold undertone to it. “You told me you dad was bad but you never said he was crazy.”

The younger boy ran his fingers through his hair, sighing as he tried to think of how to explain his situation to Steve without causing him worry.

“My dad is ex-army, he’s a little uptight and a huge asshole. Don’t worry about it.” Reaching into his bedside drawer he pulled out a pack of smokes and placed one between his lips.” That’s why you can’t come here; I don’t want you to have to experience that in person. His only emotion is anger; I don’t think he’s ever smiled in his life.”

Steve looked at Billy with a sad smile and nodded his head, worry ever present on his face.

“I can see that. I just couldn’t imagine how anyone could treat you like that. You’re a literal angel; I don’t want to see you hurt, especially by your own father.”

This made Billy’s chest ache and he tried to supress his emotions by changing the subject.

“How was your shoot today? You got to shoot on film right? that had to be exciting. You’ve been talking about it for weeks.”

For a split second the brunette’s face lit up with his signature goofy smile and Billy felt alright again. Like as long as Steve Harrington smiled at him he could survive anything his dad might put him through.

“Don’t try and distract me Mr.” Steve said, a smirk tugging at his lips. “We were talking about you; I want to make sure you’re alright.”

“Calm down pretty boy, that was nothing I’ve gone through much worse. He’s just an asshole drunk that hates his life and decided I was the actual devil at birth. I’m used to it, it would be off putting for him not to be an asshole.”

Silence fell over the two boys and they sat like that for a few minutes, each one lighting up a smoke and letting the nicotine calm their nerves.

“You know, I could always fly you out to Indiana. I know you keep saying you don’t want to go but I have the money and I need to meet you. Every second that passes makes it harder and harder to go on without you in front of me. Talking online isn’t going to cut it soon.”

Tears prickled at Steve’s eyes and Billy wanted to kick himself for being such a dick about flying to see him.

“Babe please don’t cry, I’ll find a way to make it work okay? I just can’t see you cry. I don’t have it in me not to break down with you.” The second the words left his mouth Billy regretted them instantly. This wasn’t like him at all and it worried him how easy Steve made it to share his emotions before he even decided to.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know why I’m crying. I really am a cry baby I guess.”

Steve’s eyes were rimmed red and he wiped his nose on the sleeve of his sweater, not looking at the camera.

“I don’t want you to ever apologize for feeling things pretty boy, I don’t want you to apologize for anything. I just hate being the reason you cry” Billy’s voice fell almost silent, “I love you forever. We’ll be together until you get tired of me and run off into the sunset or whatever beautiful people like you do. Crying won’t get rid of me that easily.”

The room fell silent once again and Billy heard a few quiet knocks on his door. Turning back to his phone he sighed.

“I need to go, Susan or Max are at my door and I can only imagine what they want. I love you princess.”

Steve smiled shyly.  “I love you more tough guy, now go answer the door it’s rude to leave a lady waiting.”

With that the call dropped and Billy was left missing the brunette instantly.

Walking over to the door Billy opened it to see Max standing in the hallway in the dark, his bedroom light barely illuminating her fiery hair.

“What do you want Max?”

The small girls eyes shot up and she looked even younger standing in the light of the doorway.

“Can I come in?” Her voice wavered as she picked at the ends of her curls. “I want to apologize about what happened with Neil.”

Billy sighed and stepped aside, far enough for the redhead to slip in past him. She sat on the bed and stared at her feet, one foot gently tracing her soul mark. Billy had realized over the last few days that it was a sort of nervous tick she had. Sitting down on the bed across from her he snapped his fingers to bring her attention to him.

“You have nothing to apologize for Max, Neil is an ass and he’ll always find a reason to be one. There’s nothing about that that’s your fault.”

“I should’ve just got you to pick me up, and then he wouldn’t have had any reason to be mad at you.” Her voice was shaky and her eyes welled with tears.  “I don’t want you going back to hating me because of him.”

For the second time that night Billy’s heart ached and he watched yet another person he loved cry because of him.

“Hey, no crying okay? You’re Mad Max for a reason, don’t make me change your name to soggy Max.” This made the younger girl laugh and Billy instantly felt lighter. “Now how about you forget all about blaming yourself and we can watch a movie and forget all about how terrible living in this house is.”

Max turned over onto her stomach and smiled, signaling that the crying was over for one night and she was content with what Billy had said.

Turning on a cheesy romantic comedy he knew the redhead would like Billy pulled out his phone and texted Steve.

(11:47 pm) **Somehow ended up watching a Julia Roberts movie, what a turn this night took**

Almost instantly Steve sent a text back

(11:48 pm) _Pretend all you want, I know you’re a sucker for a happy ending!_

(11:50 pm) **Says the guy that religiously cries over a movie he’s seen 100 times**

(11:53 pm) _Sixteen Candles is a classic and I refuse to believe that you wouldn’t like it if we watched it together_

Billy’s cheeks turned pink at the thought of watching such a cheesy movie with Steve and secretly loving it

(11:54 pm) **Oh shush, you just want to watch me suffer for two hours**

(11:56 pm) _Just think, we could cuddle and pop popcorn. I could play with your hair and hold your hands and finally kiss you._

(11:57 pm) **God don’t make it sound so appealing, if you keep it up I might turn into a pretty boy like you**

(11:58 pm) _Baby you’re the prettiest boy I’ve ever seen, tough guy act or not. There’s a softie hidden beneath all those layers of black clothes and tattoos. Just you wait, I’ll show you exactly how fun being a princess can be._

(11:59 pm) **I think lack of sleep is getting to your head, you better get some sleep or you’ll be telling me I need to dye my hair pink and start going to Coachella**

(12:00 am) _Sweetheart you wish you could go to Coachella_

(12:00 am) _Seriously though, I should probably go to bed. I need to go to the dark room tomorrow and start working on my prints._

(12:03 am) **Get your beauty sleep princess, I love you**

(12:04 am) _I love you more than Samantha loves Jake_

(12:05 am) **Is that a movie reference??**

(12:06 am) _It’s blasphemy that you have never seen Sixteen Candles, it’s a good thing you’re pretty_

(12:07 am) _Only I would end up with such an uncultured soulmate_

(12:09 am) **For the love of god Steve go to sleep**

(12:10 am) **and for the record, I love you like Sid loves Nancy**

(12:11 am) _if I wasn’t half asleep we’d be discussing how problematic that is but instead I’m going to go to sleep and dream about how pretty you’d be with pink hair_

Rolling his eyes Billy tore his gaze from his phone and saw that Max had fallen asleep. Grabbing a pillow and blanket he tucked her in gently laid a kiss on the top of her fiery hair.

“Sweet dreams little punk.”

Setting his alarm Billy crawled onto the floor and tried to get comfy as he listened to Max’s soft breathing from the bed above him and his body finally relaxed for the night.


End file.
